Information to help state and local educational agencies plan for a safe and productive return to in-person learning.
This state leadership guide introduces a set of equity-focused resources for state education agency (SEA) leaders to use to engage state and local stakeholders in continuous-improvement processes focused on English Learner programs and services. The guide and its accompanying resources are organized around the three prongs of the Castañeda (1981) framework: (1) Grounding EL-focused continuous improvement in evidence-based principles; (2) Supporting implementation with adequate resources and personnel; and (3) Monitoring progress to ensure effectiveness. Parts 1 and 2 include resources that SEA leaders can draw upon to ground their work to serve English learners. Part 3 presents a progress-monitoring tool that SEA leaders can use with district and/or school leaders to collaboratively develop comprehensive EL programs.
This is the first volume in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) COVID-19 Handbook,a series intended to support the education community as schools reopen. This serieswill provide tools to aid educators in implementing CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12Schools Through Phased Prevention (K-12 Operational Strategy) by addressingcommon challenges and providing practical examples. This series will be updated asadditional scientific evidence becomes available, including evidence related to newvariants of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Reopening Schools During COVID-19
The Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) has compiled a document to help educators consider the needs of all stakeholders and prepare equitable reopening and teaching plans for the fall with an emphasis on how to best meet the needs of student populations such as ELs. The document addresses three research questions:
1. What models exist for school reentry?
2. How are schools, local education agencies (LEAs), and state education agencies (SEAs) assessing stakeholder needs (educators, families, students) as they consider reopening?
3. What are the best practices for distance learning during COVID-19 and during remote learning, in general?
How Do I Set Up My Classroom? A Quick Guide for Teachers
This resource from the CDC provides practical considerations for teachers to consider as they set up their room to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
ED COVID-19 HANDBOOK Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs
States, districts, and schools have significant federal resources available to implement evidence-based and practitioner-informed strategies to meet the needs of students related to COVID-19 with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. This guidance document is a particularly helpful resource for supporting students like ELs, for whom the pandemic exacerbated preexisting inequities and who may need additional assistance and resources.
A School Leader’s Post-COVID Checklist to Close Opportunity Gaps for English learners
This recorded webinar addresses inequities in schools that impacted ELs prior to COVID-19 and offers ideas and tools on how to address those inequities as schools reopen for in person learning.
How Has Pandemic Teaching Altered Your Practice for the Better?
This podcast with Larry Ferlazzo looks at EL teachers’ perspectives on teaching and learning during the pandemic and showcases what aspects of remote teaching EL teachers will incorporate into their pedagogy as schools return to in person learning.